


Rules of Possession

by BubblyGreenBubbles



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Child Abduction, Kink Meme, M/M, Trigger Warnings, Violence, Violence against Children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-05
Updated: 2012-11-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 16:38:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubblyGreenBubbles/pseuds/BubblyGreenBubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving an orphan boy from a horrible fate before a corrupt court John Blake is forced to prove his worth when it comes to protecting the children of St Swithins orphanage. Bane sets a series of tasks to make Blake show he can protect not only the children but his city too.</p><p>"It appears you do not understand the rules of possession, and that what is mine, remains unspoiled unless I say otherwise. Such good fortune, is it, that I am here to show you the error you have made."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a prompt of The Dark Knight Rises Kink Meme. Pre-reader work done by LolaCullenX. Beta work by saeadame.

The streets of Gotham are long deserted. Cars sit on the side of the road covered in a thick layer of snow from not being moved in a month. Most of the building’s windows are now boarded up, some to keep out the cold, most to keep out worse.

The only sound that can be heard in the almost quiet streets is the distant rumble of the three tumblers constantly moving around the city. One of them is caring the nuclear bomb that could mean the end of them all. Most people think that the tumblers are always on the move so no one can attack them. Some know better. They constantly move around the city as a display, to never let the citizens forget why they’re always afraid.

Gotham’s death is always mobile.

Most of the Gotham Police Department still remains underground, trapped in the sewers. The few remaining officers are desperately trying to do something, anything to save their city, their comrades, their families, or themselves.   

The ones that, after a month of occupation, still dare to venture out are going to meetings across the city. Meetings that are never held in the same place and are trying to figure out some way of taking down the warlord that now has the whole of Gotham under his thumb.

Detective Blake is on his way to the new temporary meeting place to speak to the Commissioner when he spots a group of blackgate men beating into someone. Quietly, Blake approaches to see who it is. He sees Mason, one of the boys from St Swithin’s. Without thinking Blake yells at them them to stop and runs to help the bleeding boy.

“Run ‘long and mind ya own business.” One of the men broke apart from the group to deal with the intrusion. The unkempt man stood a foot taller than Blake, but the officer is in no way intimidated.

Blake speaks up again, “What are you doing to him?” Anger is clear in his voice.

“Teachin’ the little runt a lesson.” The man gets close enough to him to push him back. Blake stands his ground. Blake can see the blood on the man’s knuckles and casts a worried look towards the cowering boy. At least he’s caused enough of a distraction for the other two men to stop hitting into the boy.

“And what lesson could you possibly be teaching a ten year old child with your fists.” Blake catches the sight of movement off to the side. The other two men have backed away from Mason and are now heading towards him.

Their footsteps are heavy in the snow. They don’t have to worry about anyone sneaking up on them, finding them, shooting them – unlike the police.

He tries to scope them out as quickly as possible. He notices none of the three men are carrying a gun.

Big mistake.

Blake slowly reaches behind himself to grasp his department issued firearm. When Bane first took over, when he step out on the football field and when he trapped nearly all the police department underground, one of the first things the police did was try to secure the station. They only lasted two days, but still managed to collect a fair number of guns.

One of the other men speak up, “We’re teaching him the same lesson we’re gonna teach you. Ta mind your place.”

Once there in close enough range, but far away from the boy for him to run away, John pulls out the gun.

The two men to his side pause, but the one in front of him grabs at the gun. Moving quickly to the side and throwing himself off balance. The man falls to the ground, his face smashing onto the road hidden under that think layer of white. Blake aims for the back of his head.

“Let’s say we just end this here. You guys go your way, me and the boy go ours and we leave it at that.” Blake starts backing away towards Mason never turning is back on the men. They leave in the opposite direction but not before one of them casts a pointed look at the boy.

Once Blake can no longer hear their footsteps he turns towards Mason and asks, “Why were they attacking you?”

“I saw that they had all this food and I was just so hungry. I only took one apple. They had so much. I didn’t think they would notice. I was just so hungry,” said the still-shaken little boy.

Blake takes inventory of Mason’s injures. Broken nose, cut lip, his eye is going to look shocking in the morning, and his wrist is most likely sprained, probably from defending himself – or at least trying to.

“What about the food at the orphanage. I’ve been making sure you guys have enough.” _Even if it’s just barely._ John knew he’d been trying his hardest to help the boys and there wasn’t any more he could do, he couldn’t help the feeling of guilt and failure that ran through him.

 “I know. But I’ve been giving most of mine to my brother.” Mason can’t look the officer in the eye. He feels as though he’s done something wrong. He only wanted to make things easier for his brother. It was all he could think to do.

Any anger Blake felt over the situation the boy had gotten himself into suddenly vanished.  He couldn’t fault him for trying to protect the only person he really had left.

They move quickly, heading towards the orphanage when five of Bane’s men step out in front of them, the three from before with them.

“Little boys shouldn’t steal from men bigger than them. Ends badly.” The clear leader of their little group steps forward, never taking his eyes of Blake.

Blake couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t talking about Mason and the apple.

“He’s just a kid. Made a mistake. Not going to happen again.” Blake is trying to defuse the situation without having to resort to violence. Before there had only been three of them and now there are five. It’s not his safety Blake is worried about, but the terrified little boy who is trying to hide behind him.

“You know that my fellow men were just trying to be kind to the boy by giving him his punishment themselves. Better they do it then sending the kid to court.”

“For some reason I doubt they were being kind.” The sneer in Blake’s voice is unmistakable. His anger is obvious.

“Not anymore they’re not. Now you two can either come quietly with us to the court house or we can just deal with both of you here in the street.”

With a heavy sigh Blake took Mason’s hand and started to follow the group.

The court house is several blocks away but Mason feet dragged the whole time. Blake couldn’t tell if it was dread causing the boy to move so slowly or his injuries at the hands of those animals. Both, he concluded.

The noise inside the building can be heard at the other end of the street as the group of mercenaries arrive at the courthouse with their freshly bagged prizes.

When the doors are opened for them Mason recoils back at the deafening sound of yelling, crying, and cheering that assaults them as they move forward.

As Blake and Mason are brought to the main room, Blake almost immediately spots the intimidating form of their true captor, Bane. Not meaning to, or wanting to, Blake makes eye contact with him. Quickly looking away Blake can still feel the man’s eyes staring into him. Burning him.

Seconds drag into minutes and the minutes feel like hours as the pair wait for their turn before Judge Crane and his people court.

 _“… sold to the man in the cold sweat_.” From where they are, so far back in the crowd, Blake can’t see who had just been sentenced to death. But a feeling of guilt overcomes him. Another citizen the GCPD hasn’t been able to save from this occupation.

Blake moves forward as he feels the butt of a rifle shoved into the middle of his back, gently bringing Mason with him He moves towards the centre of the room where the crowd parts and only a chair sits in the middle.

Crane asked to know who was being sentenced and what for.

The leader of the group that had brought them here spoke up. “The boy. He got caught stealing food from a few of the men.”

They were told they could do as they please when all this had first started. They were told that the only crime that was now punishable in Gotham was living above others. Otherwise you could do no wrong. If you ask Blake he would tell it is no more than hypocritical bullshit.  

John steps forward choosing now to speak up.

“He’s just a child. A hungry, desperate child and you want to punish him for trying to survive. That’s not fair.” Blake had moved himself in-between Mason and Crane. His need to protect the boy from the horrors Crane had planned override any sense of self-preservation Blake feels for himself.

“This is merely a sentencing hearing. No need for a defence.” Everyone in the room could tell that Crane was enjoying all of this. The power, the control and the punishment – no one could bully him up there, no one would dare.

“If the kid is to be sentenced then let me take his punishment.”

Silence fell over the crowd.

Bane moves forward through the crowd.

He looks the pair in the centre up and down. By their appearance he could tell they weren’t related. So why does he want to save the child?

It surprises him that this man would be willing to defend a child he has no relation to. It makes him think of when he first saved Talia, all those years ago back in the pit. In that moment he decides to truly test how far this man would go to protect the child.

To see if he is worthy of being a protector.

“You wish for this child to leave here without punishment for his actions? Without consequence?” Bane asks him, head tiled to the side in a questioning manner.

The occupants of the courthouse have fallen silent watching the exchange, all of them awaiting the outcome with eager anticipation.

“Yes.” The detective answers without a moment of hesitation.

“You will do all that is demanded of you to keep him from harm?”

“Yes.”

“You will prove your worth then?”

“Yes. Wait… what?”

Bane turns around and leaves the court house without another word leaving behind him a stunned audience, disappointed soldiers, a scared little boy and a very confused Detective.


	2. Part II

John didn’t think it was possible but it had gotten colder in Gotham. Colder than he ever remembers it being and it must have something to do with the rolling blackouts. The blackouts mean it’s colder since no one has power long enough to get any decent heating going. It’s getting harder to keep food. Most of it goes bad when people try to stockpile, and it’s making people more dependent on the food supply trucks.

John tries to avoid going to the food trucks. It’s too dangerous. But when he does he only get as much as he alone can carry; he doesn’t want to make one of the orphans come with him and risk their safety.

Unfortunately today he needs to bring one of the boys. The orphanage is quickly running out of food with all the displaced people coming to its doors looking for help.

Riots often break out at the trucks, especially when they run out of food before everyone waiting has been helped.

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife and it has Blake on edge. He’s considering telling the boys to go back to the orphanage and they’ll do this again another day. But he knows that’s not really an option.

A part of Blake’s mind knows that it isn’t the dozens of people surrounding them that has him so nervous. It’s the ever-lingering reality of the agreement he made with Bane. He still has no idea what the agreement entails but he’s pretty sure it will end in his death.

As the line moves forward he looks around and sees one of the mercenaries in Banes army looking right at him. Blake quickly looks away, not wanting to draw the boys’ attention to the armed man looking at him and scare them.

It’s another hour before Blake and the two boys make it to the front of the line. Showing the aid workers his paperwork for the orphanage they pile boxes into the waiting arms until they can hardly hold anymore.

John is relieved that the amount they were given this time means he won’t have to risk a trip back for at least three weeks, if they ration. As the three reach the end of the block they can hear a fight break out behind them. They were one of the last ones to be helped.

“Come on. Let’s get going. Don’t want any of the younger ones getting angry with us cause they haven’t been fed.” The two boys pick up their pace. Both of them are eager to see the look on the other children’s faces when they come back with food.

John just wants them to move faster so that the people who got turned back for food today don’t come looking for them.

After walking another three blocks Blake starts to suspect that one or more of the people from back at the trucks has started following them. Even when he looks around and sees no one he can’t shake the feeling that they’re being followed.

He gets the kids to pick up their pace again, telling them they need to get back before dark.

Just as they make it to the steps of the orphanage, and some of the other kids come to help carry in the boxes, Blake takes another look around and catches the gaze of the mercenary that was staring at him at the food trucks. The mercenary quickly turns around and leaves when he realises he’s be spotted.

Blake doesn’t sleep well that night.

The next morning, when he’s getting ready to go meet with Commissioner Gordon for the first time since the courthouse, Blake is startled when he hears yelling coming  downstairs.

Blake feels his heart jump into his throat, and a wave of fear comes over him at the sight of Bane standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by cowering people.’

Knowing why the man is at the orphanage, Blake straightens his back, tries to hide his nervousness under the surface, and goes into the room.

“Anything we can help you with, Bane?” He tries to sound bored but thinks he comes out sounding mildly hysterical.

“Detective Blake I was beginning to think I’d been lied to and that this wasn’t your residence. Or that after our last meeting you may have tried to go into hiding.” Bane turns around to face him.

The children in the room all flinch at his sudden movement. The adult’s eyes watch him with suspicion and hatred.

“Hiding didn’t seem like a very bright idea to me. That, and where am I going to hide?”

“Nowhere I won’t find you I can assure you, Detective.” Bane looks around the room as he says it. Letting everyone know the warning isn’t intended only for the police officer.

“So I suppose you’re here about my punishment then?”

“Yes.”

“Well?”

 “You wish to protect the boys of St Swithin’s orphanage?” Bane asks him, seemingly not noticing the terrified looks he is getting from those who had lost everything now staying at the orphanage.

“Yes.”

“I don’t think you understand the true meaning of your chosen undertaking, Detective.”

“I…” His words are cut off by the piercing glare he receives.

“But don’t worry. I am more than happy to teach you.” And with that Bane leaves the room with a silent order for Blake to follow.

The moment Blake steps outside the winter wind bit into his skin sending a chill down to his bones.

“You will go to Gotham library and find the encyclopaedia I’ve marked for you.”  Banes back is turned to the detective as he walks down the street. People scurry out of view as he walks past and Blake struggles to keep up.

“What are the chances you’re going to tell me the exact book?”

“Slim to none.”

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad. Although I half expected you to tell me I’d be running around the city looking for a specific candy bar or clean weapons till my fingers went numb. All in all this is gonna be easy.”

“If you think it’s going to be so easy then go and get it. I will be back at the orphanage tonight and if you don’t have the book and you cannot recite the two marked passages to me by heart then I will have everyone in that building executed.”

The chill John feels in his bones now has nothing to do with the weather.

Bane is watching him with an amused look now, standing still in the snow on the side of the road.

“If I were you detective I wouldn’t waste time just standing around.”

John runs past him going as quickly as he can towards the library.

When he arrives at the building his lungs are burning as he heaves in each breath like it’s going to be his last. The muscles of his legs and torso are in pain with every movement he makes, but he can’t stop now.

Hiding around the corner he takes a look at the library. Immediately he notices the half-dozen mercenaries standing outside, and figures there’s going to be more inside.

“Okay, evaluation of the situation. Go in and get some dumb book from the library. All I know is that it’s an encyclopaedia. That helps. So do the dozen or so mercenaries I’ve got to sneak past. All in all, not that bad.” This is probably the only time in John Blake’s life where he will admit it, but sarcasm is not helping the situation.

After watching the men outside the building for over an hour he sees them grow restless and some start to leave then John sees an opening to get in. Between the two guards pacing back and forth along the left side, they have their backs turned to an open window for at least a minute before they both turn around again.

After making his way around another block to face the left side of the building, John sneaks in as close as he can without being spotted and waits for his chance to make for the window.

The moment the guards turn their backs to walk back alongside the building, he moves. He can hardly feel his feet hit the ground as he runs for the window pulling himself up and inside before they can see him.

He finds himself in a room filled with piles of boxes, nothing else.

He can hear people moving outside the door. Looking around the room, Blake tries to see if there’sanother way for him to get out and into the main part of the building where the reference section would be.

He spots the ventilation shaft on the ceiling, and if he can just find a way to reach it hopefully he can fit inside.

Stacking several boxes underneath the shaft opening so he can reach it and climb inside, Blake moves quickly, climbing on top of the boxes and pulling himself inside the small passage.

His arms burn with the effort of pulling his entire weight up and he starts crawling through the tight space, unsure if he’s even going in the right direction.

Eventually, after several wrong turns and at one point ending up back where he started, Blake finds the main room of the library where the reference section is.

He knows there is no way he can get down from the vent into the room without someone noticing. Blake decides that he will just have to jump down, quickly grab an encyclopaedia and pray that it’s the right one. Not a great plan, he knows.

He lands below with a low thud hopefully quiet enough not to draw too much attention. Crouching down he moves towards the bookshelves.

Looking up at the row of encyclopaedias, he notices that one is out of order.  

It seems a little too obvious, but Blake remembers Gordon telling him he isn’t supposed to believe in coincidence, so he grabs the misplaced volume and runs for the door.

As he pushes the doors open he can hear heavy footsteps following behind him. They’re running to catch him as he sprints down the stairs.

He can sense them closing in on him as he reaches the end of the block, but the moment he takes the corner, the sound of footsteps behind him stops. He barely wastes a moment thinking about why nobody raised a gun to him as he ran.

John doesn’t stop for breath until he makes it back to the orphanage. He takes the long way there, doubling back a few times just to make sure no one is following him anymore.

He goes up to the room on the third floor he’s been staying in with most of the boys, and spends the rest of the day frantically reading the two marked passages until he knows them both word for word – and then keeps reading, just in case.

Bane said he had to be able to recite both by heart.

When nightfall comes, most of the people who were staying at the orphanage have made themselves scarce because of the threat of what would happen if John failed.

The children stay, but only cause they have nowhere else to go.  

The sound of heavy footsteps filling the room below him makes John look up from the book. It sounds like there are about a half-dozen men downstairs.

Bane came prepared for him to fail.

Just like the morning, he moves slowly down the stairs not looking forward to the scene he knows awaits him.

He finds Bane sitting down in a chair the looks like it can barely hold him. He’s just casually looking through one of the out-dated magazines that are lying around, one of the only sources of entertainment for the occupants.

“Detective?” He doesn’t look up.

“Protector noun somebody who protects or defends a person, persons or something. Predator also a noun a person, group,” Blake looks pointedly at the men that came with Bane when he says it, “or state that steals from others and or destroys for gain.”

Bane places the magazine down and walks over to Blake looking at him for the first time since he arrived.

“And which, Detective, are you?”

“Protector.”

“And which am I?”

“Predator.”

“Perhaps in your opinion, I am. Good night, Detective.”

And, without a single word or gesture from their leader, Bane’s men leave the building behind him.

Blake can’t tell if it’s the eerie silence that has fallen over the orphanage that has him hearing his heartbeat in his ears, or if it is because of how close he came to dying today. 

As he makes his way upstairs, the only thought in his mind is whatever Bane may have planned it’s only going to get harder from here on out.


	3. Part III

It’s been two weeks since the incident as Father Michaels has been calling it. All of the boys in the home have been scared that Bane and his men will burst through the doors at any moment. Several of them have been avoiding Blake altogether. 

“A black out should be starting around 10 John so don’t be back any later than that.” Father Michaels is standing in the doorway of the room John is staying in watching him prepare to leave to meet with the commissioner. 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can Father.” 

“I’m locking the building up the moment the lights go out and I’m not opening it till morning. I don’t care whose knocking.”

“I’ll try and be in before then but I can’t promise anything.” Blakes ready to leave. His gun is hooked in the back of his pants hidden under his jumper.   
“You understand John I just can’t risk the safety of the boys especially with what’s been happening lately.”

The Father gives Blake a knowing look that Blake knows isn’t meant to come off looking disappointed but it doesn’t help the guilt the young officer feels. 

“I know I’m sorry father.” He can’t look at the older man knowing he is the cause of some much added grief.

“I didn’t mean that John.”

“It’s okay. I’ve really got to get going if I want to be back by ten.” Blake turns quickly leaving the Father behind him. 

After his meeting with the commissioner Detective Blake stops by one the half dozen drain openings in the bare Gotham streets that allow communication to the trapped force below the streets. 

His message is nothing informative it’s just a message of ongoing support from Gordon and the officers still in the city. While passing the note through to his partner two of the released Blackgate Prisoners turned men in Banes army come across him.

“Hey mate what ya doin’ down there?” One of him ask him in an accent he can’t quite place. 

Every muscle in Johns body goes ridged. He immediately moves away from the drain and a few steps down the street.

“We asked ya a question. What. Are. You. Doing?” 

“Tying my shoelaces.” 

“What’s with the fishin’ wire then?”

This is the moment fight or flight overrides Johns mind. 

He starts slowly moving back away from the two freed criminals as they work closer towards him. Looking out his periphery he tries to find a way out but all he sees along the street are alleys that he knows only lead to dead ends. 

Well fight it is then. 

“I’m trying to catch crocs down in the sewers. What else would I be doing?” John answers his tone making it seem as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

With the men now within arms reach and nowhere to run John resigns himself to the impending fight. 

After pushing him to the ground and then dragging him back up the larger of the two men grabbed a vice like grip of Johns forearms and faced the detective so that the other criminal could bash into him. 

After what seemed like forever the men appear to become bored with their new found punching bag and throw him back down to the ground. 

“Try not to be such a smart ass next time mate.” 

The two men walk away leaving him there face down in the snow. All Blake can taste is dirt and blood. 

Pain shoots through his entire body as he tries to get himself up. He can’t lift his arms and he can feel the bruises forming from where he was held tight as his chest and face where punched into. 

He doesn’t even want to know what his face must look like right now. If the blood he can taste in his mouth is any indication it can’t look good.   
As he starts to walk he realises the thug got a few good kicks in at his legs. 

Suddenly overhead all the street lights go out and John knows he won’t be getting back in the orphanage until tomorrow. 

Slowly, but as fast as his abused body will allow, he makes his way back to Jims hideout for the night. 

John can’t look at the commissioner right now because he can’t stand the look of guilt on his face. No matter how many times the young detective tells him his current state can only be blamed on the convicted thugs that held him down and beat into him. The commissioner continues to look at John as thought he’d just told him the whole world was going to end. 

All in all it’s not an entirely inaccurate statement. 

John has to get out of there before he punches Jim in the face just to get him to stop apologizing. And now that the suns been up for about an hour Father Mathews should let him in the orphanage. 

The muscle aches John felt yesterday are still there but for the most part he can ignore the constant ache as his limbs stretch with every movement he makes.   
His face is also in bad shape. Nothing broken but he is going to have swollen eye for a while. 

By the time he reaches the block behind the orphanage he can’t feel the pain in his arms and legs due to the cold. 

Turning around the corner the sight that greets him sends his blood colder than the weather ever could. 

One of Banes tumblers is parked out front. 

Blake knows that he should be running towards the building to stop the terrorist from tormenting the children with his mere presence. 

He knows he should run in there and demand to know what Bane wants and then make him leave. But instead his feet move a little slower and he finds himself fighting the urge to turn around and run in the other direction. 

Eventually he finds himself on the door step looking at the heavy wooden doors hoping that when he opens then they’ll lead him somewhere other than the new hell Bane undoubtedly has planned for him. 

Just as his hand goes to grasp the handle the doors are yanked inward and the man Blake recognizes as Banes right hand man is standing there. 

The pair takes a moment to look at each other when, Barsad he thinks his name is, jerks his head back in the direction of the main room. 

“You’re expected Detective.” He says his voice low and confident with a tone telling Blake he won’t be told twice. 

Walking in the room he sees Father Michaels huddled in the corner trying to comfort five boys. 

Three of them are crying, one is just staring at the wall, and Mason who is just glaring at him with an anger John recognizes all too well.

Sudden movement and a voice from the corner catches his attention. 

“Good morning, Detective.” 

“Bane. I take it you’re here about my next task, challenge, mission whatever you want to call it.” 

“Of course.”

Blake just stares at him waiting for him to elaborate. He refuses to ask, to beg, to encourage the man. Eventually Bane continues. 

“When it comes to ensuring the safety of your orphans Detective Blake will you be a protector or a predator?” Banes voice sounds even more machine through the mask. 

“I’ll be whatever I have to be to save them.”

“No matter what it costs you?” There is a questioning tone to his voice that Blake just can’t figure out. 

“Even if it costs my soul.” And the part that scares him the most is that he worries even that won’t be enough for the mercenary. 

He appears to appreciate this answer and again goes back to looking Blake up and down. He’s taking in the officer’s broken appearance. His swollen eye, the yellowing bruises the peek out from under his clothes. 

“Have you been in a fight recently Detective?” Everyone in the room can tell Bane is amused by this by the tone in his voice. If it weren’t for the mask Blake could swear he was smiling. 

“A few of your Blackgate friends decided to have a chat with me last night.”

“And they let you get away?”

“No, they let… they let me go.” He knew admitting that he couldn’t get away from the thugs himself and had to rely on their own decision to realise him made him appear weak. 

“Let you go? Did they not take you to court? They obviously didn’t kill you.” The light mocking tone his voice had before is now gone. 

“Yes, no and obviously.” 

“Well I must have a few of my men go around and teach the Blackgate conscripts how we do things. This appears to me…” Bane gestures a large hand towards Blakes beaten up face, “… as a major lapse in protocol.” The amused tone in his voice returns on the last word as if he were telling a joke only he could understand. 

Blake decides he’s tired of being mocked and changes the subject and asks a question he knows he should have asked form the get go. 

“Why are the boys down here and why are they crying?” 

“They’re here for you to prove yourself. Since you spend a lot of your time here caring for these children you may have noticed that the five in this room all have siblings that also reside in the St Swithins Orphanage.”

John had noticed. Mason has a younger brother, one he’d been trying to protect from the horrors of the occupation as much as a boy his age could. It’s how John had ended up in this situation. 

The three boys that are crying he knows have an older brother. They were sent here after their single mother was killed in a home invasion. No other relatives apart from each other. 

And Adan the boy staring at the wall has a twin brother. Both boys found inside the small church attached to the building with a note from their parents saying they could no longer care for the boys. 

“What have you done with them?” Blake makes no effort to hide the anger in his voice. Someone has threatened the boys of this home and he won’t stand for it.   
“I’ve had three of the boys collected and placed in specific locations around the city.” 

“Why?” The word his barely audible through Blakes anger as it grinds past his lips. 

“Because, Detective, Gotham had once thought itself to have a protector. And I recall being told by several of the children during my last visit here you really met him. Several times if the children are correct. Let us see if you can be more effective than him.” The way Bane says effective sends a chill down Blakes spine.   
“Well where do I find them?” Blake knows there is no point in asking. He knows he won’t get a straight answer. 

“Down memory lane, Detective.” Blake doesn’t need to be able to see all of Banes face this time to know he is smiling. The light in his eyes is enough of a tell.   
“Is that all I get? That’s not a lot to go on.” His mind thinks over a thousand possibilities and still draws a blank. 

“Well figure it out quickly detective because they may not have a lot of time.”


	4. Part IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing as a part of The Dark Knight Kink Meme. Un-Beta'd. Pre-reading done by LolaCullenx

John is sitting on the front steps of the orphanage. He knows at the moment, no matter how much Father Michaels would deny it, he isn't welcome inside.

He thinks over Banes words carefully. Blake knows a man as intelligent and articulate as Bane would have chosen is words very carefully when telling John what he must do next.

This first test was a physical one. Having to get past all those guards and get out with a rather heavy book had taken its toll on Blake.

This one is clearly a test of his intelligence.

It's in the wording.

He talked about Gotham protector. He means Batman, obviously.

Bane put emphasis on him really meeting Gothams protector. Bruce, Bane has the children somewhere involving Wayne.

In Gotham city something involving a Wayne doesn't really narrow things down.

'Several times if the children are correct.' He took seven boys.

Down memory lane he said.

With hands pulling furiously at his hair and a frustrated groan John knows he's going to fail. He can't figure out where the children are.

"I wish I never meet Bruce fucking Wayne. Then Bane would have nowhere to hide the boys."

Then suddenly it dawns on Blake. Down memory lane, meeting the real Batman, Bane means places he's meet with Bruce Wayne. John told the kids all about those times.

The time Wayne came to the orphanage when he was a child. Going to Wayne Manor and being one of the only people to see him in 8 years. Picking him at the Wayne Enterprises building and giving him cab money.

Blake makes his way back into the building and finds Father Michaels asking if he still has the older kid's bikes.

It takes him two hours to ride through Gotham to Wayne Manor and when he arrives the whole area is deserted.

Dismounting the bike and leaving it by the gate Blake slowly and cautiously makes his way towards the large home.

The silence of the area is unsettling and John feels an unease creep through him.

As he gets closer to the building he spots movement on the roof. Wayland, he's the eldest of the three crying boys.

Running up to the building he stops a metre outside the front door.

"Just try not to move okay." No matter how hard he tries he can't keep the panicked tone from his voice as he yells up to the young boy. He can only hope he heard him.

He isn't at all surprised to find the heavy wooden doors aren't locked.

Blake can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He's feeling on edge as he makes his way through the deserted building looking for a way into the attic and hopefully a safe way onto the roof.

It shouldn't be this easy. The manor should be filled with mercenaries waiting to tear him apart. Just like the library, Blake thinks to himself. This is far too easy.

He eventually makes it on top of the roof to see Wayland is bound and understandably terrified.

"What's happening John?" The boy's voice is shaken and he's fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry." Is all John says before he helps Wayland up and the make their way back into the Manor.

Unease still consumes Blakes mind as they walk along a long hallway leading towards the main staircase.

They both hear a creak in the floorboards as an armed man steps out from behind a corner.

"No, no, no. Please not again. Please." Wayland starts to beg the man and it breaks Blakes heart.

"Just let the boy go. You don't need to do anything to him we both know that."

The man briefly assesses Blake before giving a non-committal grunt and jerking his head back towards the main entry way.

Wayland moves behind Blake and tightly grabs a hold of the back of his jumper.

Blake leans down to him, never taking his eyes of the other man in the room and tells the young boy, "There's a bike out by the gates okay. I want you to run over to it and wait for me. If I'm not out in ten minutes I want you to ride as fast as you can back to the orphanage. Alright?"

"Yes, John."

The boy takes one last weary look at the armed man and runs straight for the door.

"There anyone else here?"

"No one that will hurt the boy."

The mercenary hits John in the stomach with the butt of his gun before he has a chance to reply. Johns doubled over when he feels the gun come down on his back.

Blake manages to straighten himself up and gets a few hits in on the man, causing him to drop his gun, before a large fist connects with his face sending him backwards.

The larger man gets a smug look across his and a small laugh leaves him as he turns to grab his gun off the floor.

John uses this moment of distraction to grab a hold of the back of his head and ram it against a wall. The man's body goes limp and Blake takes his gun before he runs out to Wayland.

Small hands grasp at John clothes as Wayland cries into his shirt.

With gentle hands Blake helps him onto the handlebars of the bike and the pair makes their way back towards the orphanage to reunite him with his equally terrified brothers.

They have to ride past a wide alleyway to get there. Blake recognises it as the one the police chased Batman into on the night he came back.

He slows the bike down looking through the darkness towards the end of the alleyway. They're only five blocks away from the orphanage so Blake tells Wayland to ride the rest of the way himself.

"Why?"

"I just need to check something okay. I'll be right behind you I promise."

That's all the boy needed to hear before he starts to ride towards the orphanage.

The shadow cast by the tall buildings makes it near impossible to see inside the dead end alley. As he slowly walks towards the end he starts to a whimpering noise.

"Hello?"

He hears the whimpering noise again as well as the sound of someone trying to move against a wall.

"John? John is… is… is that you?"

It's Samuel, Adans brother.

"Yeah Sam it's me. Where abouts are you?

"I… I don't know."

"Alright just keep talking and I'll find you."

"Okay."

The alley is long and narrow but it breaks off into smaller walkways leading into buildings. Sam could be down anyone of them and he still can't see a thing through the dark shadows.

"How did you get here Sam?" The boy's gone silent and John needs to keep him talking. The questions will keep talking and feed into John curiosity over how Bane is doing this.

"The bad man came last night after the blackout. Father Mathews told us to go and hide so I did. But the bad man found me and Adan. He took Wayland and Camden too. But I don't know where they are."

He's getting closer to his voice.

"He asked us if we were scared. I said no. But don't tell Father Mathews, he says it's naughty to lie."

Just as John thinks he's close enough to reach out and get him Sam starts screaming.

"No. Please no. John!" But Sam's screams become muffled. They aren't the only two in the alleyway.

"Sam!"

Then the whole alleyway goes silent again.

"Sam?"

"John!"

"Where are you now?"

"Somewhere dark. The man moved me again."

"Why?"

"You were close. He… he moved me when you were close." The whimpering stutter is coming back to his voice.

"Who are you?" John yells into the dark to the unseen man working against him. He receives no reply. He didn't expect to.

"Is he still near you Sam?"

"I don't think so. Are you still gonna come and get me John?"

He starts moving towards the sound of Sams voice again, running his left hand along that grime covered brick wall of the alleyway.

"Of course I am. I'm going to make sure you get back to the orphanage and back to Adan. He's very worried about you." He keeps his voice even but John is starting to worry more about the whole situation. It's a long alleyway with over a dozen walkways leading off it.

"The bad man didn't hurt him?"

"No, Ban… The bad man didn't hurt him."

Blake knows he's getting closer again but this time he isn't listening out for Sams voice or the sound of his breathing. He's listening for any sound of movement that will give the hidden man way when he gets to close.

Moving slowly towards where he last heard Sams voice come from he hears the faintest sound, a shoe scuffing along the ground, to his left where he knows an entrance to one of the walkways is.

Blake dives towards the general direction of the entrance his arms stretched out as he attempts to grab a hold of the man in the shadows.

His left hand grabs a hold of the back of the man's clothes and the momentum of the action causes Blake to swing around and slam his shoulder against the corner of the wall.

Fighting against the screaming pain in his shoulder he brings his right arm up and throws it around the man's neck and swings him behind himself and back into the walkway.

The moment Blake lets go and sends the man falling to the ground he runs towards where he last heard Sam and all but trips over him.

He quickly grabs a hold of Sams wrist and a little to roughly pulls him towards the end of the alley where the light barely breaks through.

The pair runs a few blocks away from the alley and towards the orphanage and only stop when Sam starts to lag behind.

"Are you alright Sam?"

"My arms a little sore from you grabbing it John." Blakes heart rips into as he sees the tears well in the boys eyes as he looks up at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You know I would never hurt you on purpose."

"I know." Sam isn't looking at him anymore. He just stares at his feet as he asks, "Can I go home now?"

"Yeah, of course." They walk quickly in silence until they're only three blocks away from the orphanage and about 17 blocks away from Wayne enterprises.

Blake sends Sam to walk the rest of the way to the orphanage by himself and then heads in the opposite direction to where Camden should be.

The suns starting to set and Blake is sure that the street lights won't be coming on in this part of town tonight.

By the time he makes it to Wayne Tower the suns gone down and the only lights he can see are the ones coming from the tower. Every other building in the street is pitch black.

He sees no one outside patrolling the building like they were with the library. Blake decides that after the day he has had and the way Bane has been treating this whole thing like a game that he no longer cares how this whole thing ends.

Taking the gun he took from the mercenary at Wayne Manor out from the back of his pants he walks straight through the doors of the tower.

He sees Camden sitting in a chair in the middle of the foyer with 6 men standing around him. Not a single one has a weapon on them that Blake can see.

"Well you took your time. The boy was starting to think you'd left him. Forgotten him. Didn't give a damn what happened to him. Of course we didn't bother to correct him…"

Blake shots the man in the chest before he gets a chance to finish his sentence.

He hears Camden start to scream as the man's body hits the floor beside him.

Two men approach Blake now and he quickly loads a bullet into the both of them as well.

Three shot and bleeding on the floor and none of the three remaining have pulled out any weapon.

Blake realises then that all these men he recognizes as ones he's arrested and has sent to Blackgate. All six of them are here as Banes sacrificial lambs.

"Now I'm going to collect Camden and we're both going to leave. Are any of you going to stop me?"

The three men stand there in complete silence, none of them moving an inch. Blake moves towards Camden and helps him off the floor.

The young boys face is covered in tears, his voice has gone rough from screaming and crying and he's shaking like a leaf. It's only then that Blake starts to think about the consequences of his game with Bane.

He leads the boy outside the building and the moment they're both out and Blakes back is turned to the men still inside he throws the gun to the ground and he knows he never wants to hold another weapon again.

When they reach the end of the street Blake feels heavy arms grab at his shoulder and throat yanking him backwards down onto the hard pavement where he hears a sicking thud has his skull connects with the ground.

A heavy boot stomps down on his chest but Blake still manages to yell out to Camden, "Run!"

He can hear the sound of Camdens feet hitting the pavement as he runs away.

The three men are too busy kicking into Blake as he lies on the ground to pay any attention to the retreating child.

After what feels like hours the men stop. One of them reminding the other two that they were told not to kill him.

They leave him there lying in a curled up position in a puddle of his own blood and vomit struggling to pull in a breath through his broken ribs.

Once he can finally breathe again he pulls himself to his hands and knees and starts to crawl the way back to the orphanage.

Bane is standing on the footsteps of the orphanage when he manages to drag himself around the corner.

Blake feels rather than sees Banes large hands as the gently pick him up and carry him towards the building.

He yelps as he is laid down on a table.

"What happened to you Detective?"

John laughs, bring blood up with it that he not so discreetly spits to the side. "Like you don't know. Like you didn't plan this. Your men it what happened to me. They tried to stop me from saving the boys anyway they could. Well guess what Bane having your men beat the crap out of me didn't stop me from saving them."

Bane goes silent and John notes this is the first time he's ever seen the man at a loss for words.

"I did not tell them to injure you."

"Why do you even care that I got hurt?"

"Because that means that someone or someone's went directly against my order and harmed you. I will not tolerate insubordination of any kind and I will most definitely not tolerate someone damaging what belongs to me."

After he stops talking Blake is left to sit in silence listening to the sound of Banes retreating footsteps and wondering what the man meant by 'what belongs to me.'

Later that night as Father Mathews helps patch John up. Bane has the three surviving men from Wayne Tower brought to him.

The three men are forced to wait in an empty room kneeling for hours when Bane finally arrives. He looks down at the men and tells them, "It appears you do not understand the rules of possession, and that what is mine, remains unspoiled unless I say otherwise. Such good fortune, is it, that I am here to show you the error you have made."

Bane takes a moment to appreciate the fear in their eyes before he kills them.


	5. Part V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Beta. This entire story has been pre-read by LolaCullenX, she has been a massive help with keeping the whole thing on track. Twilly also helped with this chapter
> 
> A small epilogue will follow soon.

Since he can't stay at the orphanage he's staying in the police hideout. At the moment it's the crowded back room of a video store. The kind of back room that has Blakes shoes sticking to the carpet.

"Dammit boy what on earth were you thinking going in there? Don't answer I'm worried the answer will make me want to punch you." Nobody in the room had ever seen Commissioner Gordon this angry before. The handful of remaining officers where left speechless.

At first Blake didn't want to tell the commissioner or any of his fellow officers the predicament he'd gotten himself into. He didn't know how they would take it. Deep down he was worried they would outcast him, and even after all these it's a fear that still runs down to his bones after a childhood of always being sent back to the orphanage for not being the happy little child parents wanted.

But with injures like his he needed help and didn't know where else to turn to. After the night he brought the three boys back Father Mathews helped patch him but sent him back out the next morning.

"A few weeks ago I came across of bunch of Banes men attacking on the boys from my orphanage. We were both taken to Cranes court. Crane was going to force the kid out on to the ice and I couldn't let that happen. So I said I would take Masens punishment. I told Crane I'd go on the ice for him. Bane was there and he must have found the whole thing amusing because he said that he would teach me to 'protect' the children of the orphanage."

Gordon goes to cut in. His face going red from his anger but Blake cuts him off before he can say anything.

"Of course I agreed. I'd agree to anything to help those boys. Anyway Bane showed up at the orphanage not long after and said that I had to go to Gotham Library and find a certain book. I did that. Dumb idea if you ask me. Then a few days ago he had three boys taken and told me I had to save them. I got the first two fairly easy. But Camden, Masons brother, the boy from court when I went to save him I guess I just kind of snapped so I just shot a few of them and took Masen. Hindsight I should have shot all of them because the three that I'd left waited till my back was turned and then beat the shit out of him. There that's it that's everything. Now you can yell at me some more."

Gordon stays silence and Blake is sure he'd prefer his anger, his yelling anything other than the silent glare he's receiving right now.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner? You know we wold have helped you look after the children." John can't stand the tone in Jim's voice, talking to him as though he was a slow child who needed everything spelt out for them.

"Helped me? Helped. Me? You can hardly help yourselves." Blake gets up at walks out of the abandoned store before anyone can tell him off.

In his anger Blake starts walking without knowing where he is going. Eventually he stops at one of the sparse parks near the orphanage.

He just sits there in the quiet thinking.

The last few nights he hasn't gotten much sleep. Bane keeps creeping into his dreams. Blake tell himself it's because of the almost near constant exposer to him but at the moment he can't even convince himself.

Pushing thoughts of Bane out of his head the image of the first mercenary he shot at Wayne tower crumpling to the floor comes into his head.

He hears a voice speak up behind him, Barsad, "Your blind pursuit to save these children is going to destroy you. I've seen it happen before and to a better person then you. If you're not careful you'll soon find your black and white morals skating on thin ice Detective."

He hates the way he said it. John knows he can't trust a word a single one of Banes men say. They all have hidden meanings behind their fake words.

"What's that even supposed to mean?"

"Had you ever killed someone before the night in Wayne Tower Detective?"

"Yes. I shot two of your guys at one of Daggetts construction site the day occupation started."

"Did you shot them on purpose?" Barsad walks up beside him but doesn't sit down. He just stands there looking forward.

"No." John looks forward as well. Not taking anything in.

"It feels different this time doesn't it?"

John doesn't reply. He doesn't know what to say.

"Bane wants to see you. So if you'd come with me." He turns around and walks away without looking back to see if John is following him. He is.

He eventually finds himself standing in front of the GCPD building.

Bane is leaning over the large conference desk, it's covered in papers.

"Bane."

"Detective."

"So I take it you want to send me on another wild goose chase then?" John walks up to stand beside him and when Bane looks up from the paper work John stares him straight in the eye and refuses to look away first.

"No chase. This is the last thing you'll have to do to prove yourself and then if you succeed I will not only leave the children of St Swithins orphanage in peace I will allow them to leave Gotham."

"What do I have to do?" Johns voice has a hard edge to it as he demands to know how to save the boys.

"Sacrifice yourself for them. Go out onto the frozen ice surrounding Gotham and walk until it breaks. If you do that the children will then be allowed to walk past the check point on the remaining bridge and leave." Bane looks down at the table as he tells John this.

"You want me to exile myself?"

"Yes."

"And if I go out onto the ice. If I go to my death you'll let the boys leave? You'll let them live?" Blake asks more to himself. He can hardly believe a word he's being told.

"Yes." Banes tone is clipped. Pushing away from the table Bane leaves the building and Blake follows without a word.

Outside the GCPD building one of the heavy terrain vehicles Bane took at the beginning of occupation is waiting outside.

After an uncomfortable and awkward ride Bane and Blake arrive at the edge of Gotham and park in front of an underpass that leads to where Cranes exiles take place.

A crowd of Banes men has formed around the edge of the frozen water, all of them have undoubtedly been told of their leaders plan for the young detective.

"So anything you want to say to me. Any grand speech you want to make before I go out there or can I just start walking and get this over with?" For the first time since the beginning of his whole ordeal in the court house John Blake feels calm and in control of his life, but he doesn't know what to make of the fact that this new feeling comes at the moment of his death.

He chooses not to think about it.

"There is nothing I need to say. You may start whenever you wish Detective but do it fast before I change my mind." There's a hesitance in his tone that Blake has never heard before, an apprehensive tone that sounds strange and wrong coming from the warlords mouth.

Blake steps his right foot down on where the ice begins and tries not to think about what would happen if Bane went back on his word about letting the children go.

The loud sound of the ice starting to crack under John's full weight is the only sound that can be heard under the bridge now. All of Banes men have gone quiet.

With his back straight and head held high he walks forward.

With every step he takes he hears the sound of ice starting to break below his feet and with each step he hopes that it will be his last.

He's about halfway to the first support pillar of the bridge and all he can think about now is that soon the boys of the orphanage will get to pass overhead and his death will have been worth it all.

The sounds of the ice cracking are getting louder and louder and John swears that it will be one more step and it'll all be over.

Just one more step.

"Stop." Banes voice carries across the empty space and stops Blake in his tracks.

With ginger movements Blake turns around to face the crowd that is all looking at Bane and Bane is staring straight at him.

"Why?" The cold coming from the wind set with the chill off the ice has made a slight chatter come to Blakes voice.

"That is enough. Come back." Of all the times Johns heard him speak, the front of Blackgate, the court house, the orphanage, he's always commanded the attention of the room with nothing more than the tone of his voice and used his words instead of weapons to bring fear to people and Blakes never noticed it more than right now.

"Why?"

"Because I ordered you to."

"Yeah, but why?" The ice is finally silent as John takes a step backwards.

"Come. Back. Now. Detective. Do not make me go and collect you."

Blake walks back to the island in silence with careful steps so he doesn't walk the same back has he did forward on the now weaker ice.

The moment Johns steps foot back on land Bane roughly grabs the back of his jacket and drags him towards the vehicle they arrived in.

He's thrown against the side and Bane stands centimetres from him looking down at him with a terrifying fire in his eyes.

"You're a fool John Blake. A stupid fool." He speaks every word slowly with a deep and edge tone to his voice.

"Why? This entire thing has been your idea. You wanted me out on the ice and now you tell me it was stupid of me to do it. Make up your fucking mind." By the time he reaches the last few words John is yelling right into Banes face.

He's about to yell more but Banes sudden and tight grip around his throat makes his words fall short.

"You were never supposed to go through with it."

"Then why make me do it?" The two stared at each other in heavy silence. "Wait you weren't ever going to let the orphans go were you?" Johns jaw tightened as he spoke, his anger clear on his face.

"I've sent my most trusted men to collect the children and walk them to the blockade on the bridge."

Johns head falls back against the window behind him. He's laughing.

When he looks back at Bane the other man has a clear look of confusion in his eyes.

"This is insane. This whole thing is fucking madness." John says with a wide smile on his face.

"I'm pleased you find it all so… amusing."

Blake stops laughing and just looks at Bane with a small smile on his face. Bane steps away from him and John steps away from the terrain vehicle.

"So whose going with the kids?"

"Why would anybody be going with them?"

"Well you can't exactly unleash three dozen children without any adult supervision." John tells him as though he were speaking to a child.

"You may return to the orphanage and select someone there to accompany the children. You may choose whoever you like, but it can't be yourself."

"Not that I'm not grateful and all, but why am I staying?"

"Because Detective Blake you have been rather entertaining these last few weeks. I will be very disappointed if that were to end."

"So what you just want to keep playing this game? Why would I agree to that?"

Bane goes silent for a moment, looking intensely at the young man before him.

"You, Detective, have proven yourself a worthy and capable of protector of the children of St Swithins orphanage. But I'm not allowing this 'game' to end. Not yet."

"Why? The boys are safe and you already said yourself I'd proved myself worthy of protecting them." John couldn't help the sarcastic tone that filled his voice as he repeated Banes constant choice of words. Protector, what is up with that?

"You're correct. You did prove yourself more than capable of protecting the orphan children. But what about you're city, your police force? To protects your brothers in arms? What would you do to protect them? "

The way he says the last questions sends a chill down Blake's spine. It makes him feel as though any task previously set for him is going to seem painless compared to what is coming his way.

The cold air in the empty building bites into Blakes exposed skin causing his skin to rises up in a covering of goose bumps. He doesn't know why he's here. One of Banes men had shown up at the new hideout and told him to go to the now abandoned orphanage. The detective can't help but think that any scenario that has him meeting a terrorist in an abandoned orphanage is not one that is likely to end well for him.

But yet he still waits.

Silently.

The only sound in the main hall of the building is his own breathing.

Only two of the lights on the roof work after the place was ransacked. But he can tell by the amount of light one is giving off it's about to go out.

The winter chill from outside has set heavily around him. Wishing he has wearing something other than a button shirt and slacks Blake crosses his arms over his chest trying to bring some warmth to himself.

Just waiting in the semi dark and silence has him on edge. It makes time seem like it has stopped moving. He turns around to leave but stops dead in his tracks when he hears an all too familiar voice speak out to him.

"So soon, Detective?"

Blake feels a swell of excitement in his chest he can't explain. He's gotten in too deep and he knows it. He just can't think of a clean way out. As far as he can tell he only has two ways of getting out of this arrangement, if you could truly call it that, and one means his death and the other means the death of every police officer trapped underground. Only one bothers him.

"I was starting to think you stood me up." He calls back out into the empty space. He can't see where Bane is. That light is getting worse every second.

"Of course not." He can just hear his footsteps, just. For such a large man he is almost silent in his movements.

"Then why make me wait so long."

"Because I can." Blake spins around suddenly, Bane is behind him.

The detective goes to respond but is cut off. "You're cold."

He can see Bane now, walking towards him from the farthest end of the building.

The larger man stops in front of him. Barely a few inches apart and Blake can smell the sterile sent of Banes breathing through the mask.

He feels large and calloused hands rub up and down his arms. He knows he should pull away from the touch but instead he leans into it.

"And why did you not dress appropriately?" Blake could swear he almost heard a tone of concern in Banes voice, but he brushes it aside.

"Well to be honest I wasn't expecting to be left waiting in the orphanage for god only knows what." John knows he sounds like a child having a temper tantrum but he can't bring himself to care.

Bane casts his gaze down to where his hands are running along Johns arms. He did genuinely want to know if the detective would wait from him, even without being told to. But that doesn't ease the guilt he feels.

"I'm sorry." His voice is barely a whisper as it comes through the mask. He moves his hands from the younger man's arms and brings one of his to rest against his cheek. Surprise fills his mind when it isn't pushed away, when he isn't rejected.

He moves his hand along his chilled cheek feeling the flesh warm beneath his palm. Bane brings his other hand up to rest on Blakes shoulder running it back down is arm to weave their fingers together.

"What are you doing?" His detective's eyes are glazed over as he speaks to him.

Running his hand along the other man's cheek and bringing it down to grasp the back of his head. He manipulates Blake's body so he can run the front of his mask alongside the crock of his neck.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

John's grip of Banes hand tightens and he receives a powerful squeeze in response. His whole body shivers and his muscles become tense at the feel of the cool metal of Banes mask lightly brushing alongside the skin of his neck.

The small space that was between them is quickly closed as Blake steps forward, pressing his body against Banes.

"What are you doing?" Blake can't stop the shaking in his voice as he asks again and he hates it.

He hears Bane speak, still leaning into his neck. "Do you want me to stop?" His hand has left Blakes hair and his griping his hip.

Yes. "No."

He's worried what will happen if he pushes him away, rejects him. At least he keeps telling himself that's the reason he lets Bane continue and starts touching the man as well.

Unsure hands came to rest against the large scarred shoulders of the man before him. Slowly he pushes the wool lined coat off him.

Bane moves back from leaning in to Blakes neck with a look of surprise in his eyes.

"This is what you want isn't it?"

He only nods in response.

With a heavy sigh Blake tells him, "Okay." His voice firm and sure, he can do this.

Their hands move faster removing a button down shirt and bullet proof vest. Blake can't hold back the groan that leaves his throat as the skin of their chests brush against each other.

Blake runs his fingers along the many scars littering Banes torso causing a light moan to leave him.

Bane suddenly sweeps Blake tightly into his arms, just holding him there as he strokes his back.

The detective could feel the mercenaries' hard length pressing against his stomach. Blake brings his slightly shaking hand up between the small space now between them and cups the other man's erection.

The next thing Blake knows he is being laid down on the cold floor of the building.

Banes hands are moving undoing the button of his pants as he lies on the floor.

"Ah…" Banes hand moves against his erection. Blake can feel his face warm up at the tension he is feeling inside. He wants this. He knows he shouldn't, but he does.

Bane casts the pants off to the pile of other clothes along with his own. Their shoes follow soon behind.

Blake grips one of the side straps of Banes mask and pulls him down to him.

Bane closes his eyes and savours the feeling of his detective's lips kissing all the skin exposed by the mask.

With his left arm bracing him above the man below him his other hand skimmed down John's side to his stomach and to his hip. His wandering hand grabs a handful of Blakes flesh and groans at the feel of it.

The sudden feel of Banes hand grabbing his arse causes Blake to push his hips forward, grinding his erection against Bane.

The sudden feel of Banes hand grabbing his arse causes Blake to push his hips forward, grinding his rapidly building arousal against Bane.

"No… don't…" Blakes voice has a whining tone to it as Bane lifts himself off him. He doesn't want to stop this not when it's starting to feel so good.

Blake watches Bane as he leans over to the pile of their discarded clothing, reaching into one of the large pockets of his jacket.

Dread and arousal fill John all at once when he sees Banes large hand take out a small bottle of lubricant.

He knows what that little bottle means. That Bane will take him, and he will probably enjoy it. But that Bane also came to the orphanage expecting this to happen.

Blake says nothing. He just lies back trying to get both his breathing and his nerves under control.

Bane looks back at the young man spread out for him on the floor. The shadows cast across his body by the now only functioning light brings a definition to his muscles. The sight before him goes straight to his cock.

The thought of what Bane is about to do, and what Blake is about to let him do is making him painfully hard.

Bane goes back to Blake sitting the small bottle beside them, and he rubs his hands along the officers thighs slowing spreading his legs apart.

With his knees apart Bane tells him to stay like that as he reaches for the bottle again. Blake can hear his heart pounding in his ears as he watches Bane spread the lubricant over two fingers.

"Relax…" Bane tells his as he runs two fingers along Blakes crack spreading the fluid over his skin.

Bane slowly pushes one finger inside him. He is pushing in and out at a pace that feels like he's barely moving. Blakes breathing becomes heavier breathing through the pain of the intrusion. His pain is quickly giving way to a pleasure he can't contain.

As Bane pushes in a second finger working him wider Blakes breathing changes to panting moans that are getting louder and louder as Bane starts to move faster.

He screams out as he feels Bane add a third finger. He swears he can't take anymore but he's begging Bane to move on. He wants to feel more of the man inside him. Not just his fingers.

"Anything you want." Banes voice is low with pleasure and is barely audible through the mask.

Bane removes his fingers and Blake groans at his loss. He watches as Bane goes for the bottle again and Blake stops him.

"Let me. I want to. I want to touch you. Please."

The detective pours the lubricant into his palm and the takes Bane into his hand and starts moving up and down his length.

After a minute or so Bane grasps his wrist and pulls Blakes hand off him.

He spreads Blake out a little more and lines himself up.

"Just breathe and it will be good," Bane reassures his partner.

Bane slowly pushes in as he grips Johns thighs. Blake can feel himself trying to take the man in. Their breathing becomes heavier until Bane is inside all the way and lets out a heavy sigh that brings the sterile scent to Johns nose as Bane breath brushes over him.

Once Bane is sure that Blake is comfortable and can take more he starts moving, and his pace quickly picks up as Blake starts to (tries to) move with him.

He finds himself begging for release, and begging Bane to let him cum.

Bane slows down his pace to help Blake find his release and relishing in the sound of ecstasy falling from his detective's lips.

Once Blake has come down he feels Bane take a pace faster and harder than he had before. The man above him grunts louder and grips his thighs tighter as he reaches his own end and only last a few more thrusts after that before he empties himself and collapses a top him.

He tries to breath but every breath is a struggle because of the weight of the man lying on top of him. John can feel his shoulders, ribs and spine being pushed into the hard ground.

"I… you're… you're crushing me." He manages to get out.

He feels Banes weight lift off of him.

"Was that enough?"

Banes pulled his pants back on and looks down at Blake who is still lying on his back on the floor.

"Enough?"

"This is what you wanted isn't it? This was the challenge?" John sits up and reaches for his own clothing.

Standing, now fully clothed, Banes eyes look towards everything but John. "You thought this was some… test?"

"It was a test wasn't it?"

Bane finally looks towards him again and they both stay silent until understanding finally dawns on Blake.

"This wasn't a test."

Bane doesn't reply he just casts one last look at John and then leaves.


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole story as you know hasn't been seen by a beta. So all mistakes are mine.

It has been a month since the bomb went off over the bay and Batman died saving Gotham. 

The city was still kept closed off for two weeks after; to make sure none of Banes Army or the released prisoners made it off the island. 

A month later and a majority of the city was still living off of rations from a food truck. 

Officers from surrounding areas have been sent in to fill out the numbers the GCPD lost. 

Gordon had asked Blake to reconsider his impromptu resignation. But he stood his ground. He no longer wanted to be a part of that system. Not after all that he’d done during occupation. 

It wasn’t until two months after the bomb that John received a call from lawyers representing the Wayne Estate, or at least what was left of it. 

The Batcave had been nothing like he’d expected it to, but to be fair he didn’t know what he expected. 

John spent months adjusting all the armour Bruce had left him to fit. And when he wasn’t busy preparing to take over as the new Batman he was helping with the rebuilding efforts around Gotham. 

It was another six months after the occupation, when John was nearly ready to go out into the night as the new Bat that he received an unmarked letter under his door. 

It contained to tickets to Eastern Europe and a note saying,  
‘You’ve still yet to complete your final task, Former Detective.’


End file.
